Food package

ABSTRACT

Packages for the stable display and storage of foodstuffs. Re-closeable foodstuff package are provided that include a container and a lid. The lid has a base with three feet. The feet support the package when placed horizontally. One of the feet forms a lip in the base of the container that provides stability to the package when it is displayed in a near-vertical position. Additionally, the lip allows the packages to be stacked stably while in a horizontal position to allow for easy shipping of quantities of the packages to stores for sale.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to packaging for food items, andmore particularly to stackable display packaging for perishable fooditems.

2. Description of the Background

The display and presentation of food items is of great concern in thefood industry. The commercially effective display of food items allowsthe consumer to view the foodstuff to be purchased, while at the sametime properly designed packages preserve the freshness of the product.Because of the diversity of sales spaces in stores, an effective foodpackage should allow display of the foodstuff in a variety ofconfigurations, e.g., with the face of the package towards the consumeror with multiple packages stacked vertically on a shelf one on top ofone another.

Food packages that include a re-closable container are particularlyappealing to consumers in that they allow reuse of the container.Re-closable containers permit a consumer to maintain the freshness ofpurchased food products after the packaging is initially opened by theconsumer.

Additionally, food packaging should be structured to allow easy andefficient transport of numerous packages from the factory where they aremade to the stores where they are sold.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will be described in conjunction with thefollowing figures, wherein like reference characters designate the sameor similar elements, which figures are incorporated into and constitutea part of the specification, wherein:

FIG. 1 shows a profile view of a container and lid of the presentinvention;

FIG. 2 displays a front view of a container of the present invention;

FIG. 3 displays a side view of a container of the present invention;

FIG. 3A displays an expanded view of the side of the container shown inFIG. 3;

FIG. 4 depicts a bottom view of a container of the present invention;

FIG. 5 shows a lid of the present invention;

FIG. 5A shows a front view of the container and lid of the presentinvention;

FIG. 6 depicts a package of the present invention as might be displayedon a shelf in a store in a near-vertical orientation; and

FIG. 7 shows stacking of the packages of the present invention.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a novel, re-closeable foodstuff packagethat includes structure so that the package can be stacked both in ahorizontal position for shipping and placed vertically to allow for thedisplay of the foodstuff. The present invention includes a container forenclosing foodstuffs and a lid which may snap fit snugly on thecontainer to re-close the container and help maintain the freshness ofthe foodstuffs inside. The container is defined by a base and fourwalls. The two side walls of the container preferably extend verticallyfrom the base. The front and rear walls preferably extend substantiallyvertically from the base and roughly parallel to one another, with thefront wall angled slightly towards the center of the container and therear wall slightly away from the center of the container. The baseincludes multiple feet that support the container when it is placed in ahorizontal position on a surface. Two feet are located at the rear ofthe container in the corners of the base. A third foot is preferablylocated along the front of the base set back slightly from the frontwall, forming a lip in the front of the container. The container mayalso include a rim that extends horizontally from the top of the walls.The lid fits into the top of the container to seal the foodstuffswithin. The lid also includes a horizontal rim that is sealed to thecontainer along the horizontal rim of the container. The package isopened by peeling the lid away from the container and then the lid canbe snap fit snuggly back into the container to re-close the containerand maintain freshness of the foodstuffs within.

The packages of the present invention may be displayed in anear-vertical orientation such that the front wall of the containerfaces the shelf on which the product is placed. In this near-verticalorientation, the package rests on the horizontal rim and the lip stably,thus allowing the product to be displayed to consumers effectively. Theoverall structure of the package, particularly the negative angle of thefront wall, places the center of mass of the product-containing packagessubstantially directly above the front wall when a package is orientedin the near-vertical position. This allows the package to rest stably onthe horizontal rim and the lip with a reduced likelihood of the packagetipping over. The packages of the present invention may also be stackedin a horizontal orientation. To allow the stable stacking of packages ofthe present invention, the lip in the base of the container rests firminto the lid of the container below it.

The present invention provides a package for containing a foodstuff,comprising a container and a lid. The container has a base with aperimeter and two side walls opposite one another and a rear wallopposite a front wall. The side walls extend substantially verticallyfrom the perimeter of the base. The front wall extends at a negativeangle relative to the base towards the center of the container. The rearwall may be substantially parallel to the front wall. The container alsoincludes a substantially horizontal rim that is disposed along a topportion of the walls, opposite the base. The base of the containerpreferably includes three feet that are integrated into the base. Thefirst and second feet are positioned at opposite corners of the basewhere the rear wall meets the base. The third foot traverses the baseparallel to the perimeter and is set back from said front wall so as todefine a lip in the base at the bottom of the front wall of thecontainer to provide stability when the packages are vertically stacked.The packages of the present invention also include a lid that is capableof fitting snugly into the rim to contain foodstuffs placed in thecontainer.

The packages of the present invention may be oriented stably in anear-vertical position where the package rests on the horizontal rim andthe lip rest on a horizontal surface. When in this orientation, thecenter of mass of said package is located above said front wall of thepackage because of the negative angle of the front wall.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

It is to be understood that the figures and descriptions of the presentinvention have been simplified to illustrate elements that are relevantfor a clear understanding of the invention, while eliminating forpurposes of clarity, other elements that may be well known. The detaileddescription will be provided hereinbelow with reference to the attacheddrawing.

The present invention provides packages that allow foodstuffs to bepresented in a variety of display spaces in stores. The presentinvention provides several components including a container forenclosing foodstuffs and a lid that snap fits snugly onto the containerto re-close the container and help maintain the freshness of thefoodstuffs inside after opening by the consumer. The systems of thepresent invention are particularly well suited for the display of lunchmeats and other perishable foodstuffs, though may be used for any typeof food display. Through the novel and innovative design of the presentinvention, packages containing foodstuffs may be placed stably in anear-vertical display position where a broad face of the package facesconsumers.

A presently preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown inFIG. 1. The package 1 of the present invention preferably includes acontainer 10 and a lid 15. The lid 15 preferably recesses into thetop-most portion of container 10 and snap fits snugly into the container10, thus closing the container which helps to maintain the freshness ofthe foodstuffs that may be placed inside. In some presently preferredembodiments the container is approximately rectangular in shape, asshown in FIG. 1.

The containers of the present invention have four walls 20, 25, 45, 50that extend roughly vertically from the base of the container 12 alongits perimeter. Walls 20, 25, 45, 50 are integrally formed as shown inFIGS. 2 and 3. The relation of the walls to the base 12 of the containeris depicted in FIGS. 2 and 3. The base 12 is integrally formed withwalls 20, 25, 45, 50, thus making container 10. By way of example only,container 10 may be molded as a single piece using injection or vacuummolding, formed on a packaging machine, or other techniques known tothose of skill in the art. FIG. 2 displays a view of the front of thecontainer portion of the packages of the present invention. The two sidewalls 20, 25 extend substantially vertically from the base 12 as shownin FIG. 2. At the top of the walls 20, 25, 45, 50, a horizontal rim 30extends roughly orthogonally from the walls. The walls 20, 25, 45, 50may contain raised ribs 35 that add rigidity to the walls and overallstrength to the container. FIGS. 2 and 3 also display a lip 40 formed inthe front of the base 12 that is formed by a foot 65 present in the baseof the container 10 (see FIG. 4) as described more fully hereinbelow.

FIG. 3 shows a side view of the container of the present invention. Asis clearly observed in this view, the front wall 50 of the container ispresent at a negative angle θ relative to the base 12 of the container.The negative angle θ positions front wall 50 towards the center of thecontainer and away from an imaginary vertical line extendedperpendicularly from the perimeter of base 12 as shown in FIG. 3. Frontwall 50 is substantially parallel to rear wall 45. This attribute of thepresent invention allows the packages of the present invention to reststably in a near-vertical position as further described below. Angle θshown in FIG. 3 may range from 10° to 25° with 14° presently preferred.The lip 40 at the front of the base 12 of the container is shown in sideview and may be compared to the view of the front of lip 40 shown inFIG. 2. Ribs 37 may be formed in the side walls 20, 25 of the container10 to add stability or aesthetic appeal to the container. Lid lockrecess 39 may be formed in the top portion of container 10 at each endof container 10. Lid 15 engages lid lock recess 39, as will be describedin further detail below, to form a snap fit so that the lid 15 re-closesthe container 10. FIG. 3A is an expanded view of FIG. 3 showing the lidlock recess 39, ribs 37, front wall 50 and lip 40.

FIG. 4 shows a bottom view of one embodiment of a container of thepresent invention and depicts the location of feet 55, 60, 65 present inthe base 12 of the container. In presently preferred embodiments, thebase of the container includes three feet 55, 60, 65. The first two feet55, 60 are located in the corners of the base 12 at the juncture of therear and side walls. The third foot 65 preferably extends along theentire length of the container at the front of the container. The thirdfoot 65 is set back from the perimeter of the base 12 such that a lip 40is formed at the front of the base, allowing for vertical stacking asshown in FIG. 7. The horizontal rim of the container 30 is sealedagainst the horizontal rim 32 of lid 15 (FIG. 5A) when the foodstuffscontained in container 10 are initially packaged. In presently preferredembodiments, the third foot 65 runs parallel to the front perimeter ofthe base 12 as shown in FIG. 4. The particular geometry of the feet 55,60, 65 may be varied while staying within the scope of the presentinvention depending on the aesthetic design to be achieved

FIG. 5 depicts a bottom view of the lid 15 of the present invention. Thelid 15 preferably fits snugly into the top of the container and may actto contain foodstuffs in the container. The lid 15 thus closes thecontainer allowing any foodstuffs held in the container to remain freshafter initial opening of the packaging by the consumer. The lid 15 mayinclude a recessed rib 70. Recessed rib 70 adds rigidity to the lid 15and aids in locking the lid 15 in the lid lock recess 39 (FIG. 3) whenthe lid 15 is used to re-close container 10.

FIG. 5A presents a front view of lid 15 and container 10 and furtherillustrates the structural elements of package 1 which function to sealand re-close lid 15 to container 10. During initial packaging of thefoodstuffs which are contained in container 10, the horizontal rim 32 ofthe lid 15 is sealed against the horizontal rim 30 of the container thushelping to maintain the freshness of the foodstuffs. Lid 15 may includea locking member 17 disposed at opposite ends of lid 15. After thepackage 1 is opened by a consumer, a locking member 17 may be engaged ina locking recess 39 so that lid 15 snap-fits to container 10 andre-closes container 10 thus helping to maintain the freshness of thefoodstuffs.

The geometrical configuration of the packages of the present inventionallows the packages to be stacked in a variety of manners for display inand shipping to stores. For display, the package may be positioned suchthat the front wall 50 of the container faces the shelf surface. Whilein this position, the packages of the present invention possess a centerof mass that is substantially directly above the front wall 50 of thecontainer. The center of mass of the package is located substantiallydirectly above the front wall of the container because of the angle θ ofthe front wall 50. In this orientation, the container will rest stablyon the horizontal rim 30 that runs along the front of the container andthe front wall 50 as shown in FIG. 6. When placed in this orientation,the novel geometry of the containers of the present invention allows thepackages to be maintained in a position where the face of the containeris preferably less than six degrees away from vertical as shown in FIG.6. Thus, the combination of the horizontal rim, the lip, and thenegative angle of the front wall allows the packages of the presentinvention to maintain a near-vertical positioning stably.

This attribute of the present invention provides a significant advantageover prior art packages that seek to maintain the look and appearance offoodstuffs located in the container. In many of the prior art packages,the shape and configuration of the package is designed emphasizing thedisplay of the foodstuffs and the maintenance of a fluffed appearance ofthe package contents. However, movement of the foodstuffs duringtransportation of the packages may result not only in a loss of fluffedappearance, but also instability of the package when it is placed in anear-vertical orientation. In contrast, the packages of the presentinvention may be displayed stably in a near-vertical orientation so thatthe face of the package may easily be observed by consumers in thestore.

In embodiments of the present invention, lid 15 preferably holds thecontents of the package in place. In alternative embodiments, thecontents of the container 10 are enclosed in an inner package or bag(not shown). The use of an inner package or bag may also help tominimize movement of the contents during shipping and handling. Thisattribute of the present invention also allows the efficient verticalstacking of the packages and allows the maintenance of a substantialinventory of the packages on the store shelves which are convenient toaccess.

The packages of the present invention may also be stacked in ahorizontal position as shown in FIG. 7. The lip 40 in the base 12 of thecontainer preferably fits complementarily into the lid 15 of anotherpackage of the present invention so as to allow stacking of thepackages. The lip 40 provides stability to the overall stack bystabilizing the interaction between two adjacent packages. Because thelip 40 is offset from the perimeter of the container, packages of thepresent invention are able to be stacked in a stable vertical columneven though the front and rear walls are angled as described above.

Nothing in the above description is meant to limit the present inventionto any specific materials, geometry, or orientation of elements. Manymodifications are contemplated within the scope of the present inventionand will be apparent to those skilled in the art. The embodimentsdescribed herein were presented by way of example only and should not beused to limit the scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A package for containing a foodstuff, comprising:a container comprising a base having a perimeter, a front wall, a rearwall, a first side wall and a second side wall, wherein said side wallsextend substantially vertically from the perimeter at opposite sides ofsaid base, further wherein said front wall and said rear wall extendsubstantially vertically from the perimeter at opposite sides of saidbase, further wherein said front wall extends at a negative anglerelative to said base towards a center of said container; said containerfurther comprising a substantially horizontal rim disposed along aportion of the front wall, said rear wall, said first side wall, andsaid second side wall opposite to said base; said base comprising afirst foot, a second foot, and a third foot integrally disposed in saidbase, wherein the first and second feet are positioned at oppositecorners of said base adjacent to said rear wall, further wherein saidthird foot traverses the base parallel to the perimeter and is set backfrom said front wall so as to define a lip in said base, wherein saidfront portion of said horizontal rim and said lip are adapted to rest ona horizontal surface when said package is in a near-verticalorientation, further wherein a center of mass of said package to belocated above said front wall when said package is in said near-verticalconfiguration; and a lid, wherein said lid fits snugly into said rim tocontain said foodstuff placed in said container.
 2. The package of claim1, wherein said negative angle relative to the base is between about 10degrees and about 25 degrees relative to a vertical axis.
 3. The packageof claim 2, wherein the negative angle relative to the base isapproximately 14 degrees relative to a vertical axis.
 4. The package ofclaim 1, wherein the base including said lip is shaped to fit stably ina lid of a second identical package to allow stable vertical stacking ofa plurality of said packages.
 5. The package of claim 1, wherein saidside, front, and rear walls include a plurality of ribs.
 6. The packageof claim 1, wherein said lid includes a recessed portion that isparallel to said rim towards a center of said lid and which addsrigidity to the lid.
 7. The package of claim 1, wherein said package isat an angle less than six degrees from vertical when said package is insaid near-vertical orientation.
 8. The package of claim 1, wherein saidfront wall and said rear wall are substantially parallel to one another.9. The package of claim 1, wherein the container includes a plurality ofrecessed lock portions and the lid includes a plurality of lockingmembers so that each recessed lock portion engages a locking member andthereby the lid snap fits to the container.